The way I see it, the Edmonton Oilers will be far better served in the long run by having as much success as possible in their final 27 games of the season than they will by sucking so badly they get another crack at a first overall pick.

What the Oilers need now is for the core players they've assembled in previous seasons of ineptitude and suffering – Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov – to find out what it feels like to win rather than more filing off the ice game after game carrying yet more failure on their shoulders.

What the Oilers don't need is their fourth first overall draft pick in the last five years, even if the reward for being the worst team in the NHL this season is prized defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Another blue-chipper, no matter how good he is, who'll help the team three years down the road isn’t as important as having the group assembled now – not to mention fans who expected better this season – get a taste of how it feels to win.

The good news is that the Oilers, 17-32-6 for 40 points, can tear it up, relatively speaking, in these final 27 games and still get a crack at a top-three selection next June. They're buried so deep now, even winning 14-15 of their remaining games likely isn't going to move them above 28th place.

No Ekblad there? Too bad.

DOWN THE STRETCH

Not everybody agrees with my approach, of course. With playoffs out of the question for the eighth straight season, there is a segment of fans who'd like to see the Oilers "tank it" and finish last, getting the best possible pick. The hopeless Buffalo Sabres, with 35 points, sit 30th now.

The only team the Oilers have a realistic chance of overtaking is the 28th place Calgary Flames, who have 43 points (and three games in hand). Right now, the Florida Panthers occupy 27th with 49 points and they also have three games in hand. The Oilers won’t catch them even with 14-15 wins.

Playing at or near .500 in terms of available points the rest of the way isn't going to undue the struggles of the first 55 games in the eyes of fans, and that's understandable, but it could do wonders for the aforementioned likes of Hall, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins and Yakupov. Winning is and has to be a part of development and there's been precious little of that around here.

No matter how this team finishes, it goes without saying there's still a helluva lot of work for GM Craig MacTavish to do before the Oilers get anywhere near a playoff spot. This much we know.

That said, I'd rather see Hall and the rest of the kids head into the off-season with something resembling confidence and feeling good about themselves in April after a modest run of success than have June roll around and hear, "With the first overall pick, the Edmonton Oilers select . . ."

WHILE I'M AT IT

. . . As good as Ekblad is, I'm not sure the Oilers could go far wrong if they were to hang on to the third overall pick and get a crack at either Sam Reinhart or Sam Bennett, both centres.

. . . Sam Gagner is playing his best hockey of the season after a horrendous start and that's good news. Gagner is, far and away, the likeliest player to be dealt between now and training camp next season – assuming there's nothing big on the table that involves one of the core group – and he will strengthen MacTavish's hand with a solid finish.

. . . I've liked the way Jeff Petry has played over the last stretch a lot more than I liked him at the start of the season. He's been a lightning rod for criticism, some of it earned, mainly because he's been forced into top-pairing minutes by lack of depth. When Petry is playing second-pairing minutes, the Oilers will be a playoff team.

Listen to Robin Brownlee Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Jason Gregor Show on TEAM 1260.

A sports writer since 1983, including stints at The Edmonton Journal and The Sun 1989-2007, I happily co-host the Jason Gregor Show on TSN 1260 twice a week and write when so inclined. Have the best damn lawn on the internet. Most important, I am Sam's dad. Follow me on Twitter at Robin_Brownlee. Or don't.

I agree 100%. I don't claim to be a sports psychologist, but I have studied behaviour and motivation, and I do know that there is no way a team can continue losing 67% of their games and keep the fight and their heads held high. I have always wondered why new acquisitions (Gazdic, Perron, Hendricks, ect) always seem to play more aggressively and with more emotion, and I'm sure part of it has to do with playing style, but I guarantee that at least a good portion can be attributed to not having a "loser mentality".

I even see this on my beer league team. We went through a stretch where we won 3 of 18 games, and guys (who are normally best friends) were blaming each other, blowing up in the dressing room, and not showing up to play. I can't imagine what 4 (or 8...) years of losing does to the team.

Humans are social creatures, and culture plays an immense role into our moods, motivation, and effort.

I for one am not sold on Gagner. We've seen this flic before. Trade talk spurs him on for a late season burst. He is still small, physically weak compared to strong heavy team's 2nd line Centre's. He's not effective in his own zone. The word lost comes to mind.

He has shown better play offensively of late and seems over the last two games to have found some chemistry. He is one dimensional at best. If the Oil brain trust can make an improvement at his position then they should cut bait.

I too don't see a need for tanking. This team will be much better served both in terms of emotion and pshyche by winning as much as they can in the final stretch of the season than by tanking and getting another piece that by the time he's ready to contribute the Oilers top guns will be at the end of their contracts and the situation will be much different then. There will be plenty of good options for big guys on the top 5, so let's go, see what this team can really do and see if there's a coach in Eakins or not.

Oiler fans are indeed in big trouble! The hundreds and hundreds of losses over the last 8 years has lost your perspective on sports! Be reminded losers sports is about winning it is not about draft day and drafting 1st overall in 4 consecutive years! Can't believe what I have been reading where you again actually think the Oilers should lose to gain optimal draft position. A lot of good that has done!! You currently have high level talent with shattered dreams and a chronic culture of losing! Do you really think a 17 year old like Ekblad is going to help immediately??? Unbelieveable !!

The players need to feel the satisfaction of winning and the fans need it too. Losing has taken its toll and I would love to see them rip up the last 27 games or so, kick Calgary and Vancouver around a few times, and figure out who our starting goaltender for next year is.

Even if we moved up a spot or two, we'd still be a lottery team and anything could happen (we could still pick first), and the prize would still be Ekblad or a centre which would help us out... y'know... two to three years from now.

I am incapable of rooting for the Oilers to lose for ANY reason. When they do, at times like this, I take some comfort in that it may improve their draft position, but I still hate it. I believe management did some tanking in the early years of the rebuild and I think they underestimated the damage they were doing to the team culture. Of course since they have been totally incompetent in every other area, it would have been very odd for them to have gotten that right either.
Yes, I badly want Ekblad, and don't feel it will take three years for him to start helping, but I will go on rooting for every possible Oiler win. Well said Robin.

Maybe the Oilers think outside of the box and become buyers istead of sellers this trade deadline. Identify players that are going to freeagency and pick them up. If the oil go on a good run for the final games it tells the team and players they could be good next yr. Then try to sign the players before freeagency starts.

I am sure that I am like most other Oil fans in this matter, the continuous walk up the alter to claim the high draft pick has become very unrewarding. The thrill has gone!

Time to win and never mind the standings. We are going to pick high anyway. Perhaps there will be some wheeling and dealing involving upcoming picks and present prospects we have in the cupboard? No matter what the thoughts of how this rebuild has gone thus far and whom may be responsible for it's derailment, it comes done to winning. This team, city and above all, us fans have to get this attitude again that we are indeed one of the best at everything we do. For those of us who have been around for a bit can fully appreciate the "we are the best" attitude we boldly displayed in a most proud manner during the Oil's hay days, way back when......

Being true blue Oil fans, it has been a horrendous number of years for us. We have hit rock bottom and have been there much too long. The winning has to start now!

I dont know why everyone thinks ekblads going first overall. jones went 4th last year when he was projected 1st and teams almost never draft defense 1st overall. if the oil has the 3rd pick he'll probably still be available

Looks like Calgary will tank it more than the Oilers come trade deadline. Last year they got Monahan over us. This year it'll be Ekblad.

You are sadly incorrect. Unlike the Oiler culture Hartley has instilled hard work and energy in the Flames. Despite there minimal talent they work hard every night and will never tank. This tanking practice you are talking about is an 'Oiler' thing given the potential 4 consecutive first overalls. The worst joke in pro sports today!

Who is going to tank more after trade deadline with players going elsewhere ? Flames , Sabers and / or Oilers ? This years draft does not impress like others have . I can see us trading it away quite frankly unless we have NBR.1 again . With our type of mentality for speed and skill I have a feeling we might choose diminutive Joshua Ho-Sang if beyond second choice . Nothing wrong with his skill set , just not that big physically .

Oiler fans are indeed in big trouble! The hundreds and hundreds of losses over the last 8 years has lost your perspective on sports! Be reminded losers sports is about winning it is not about draft day and drafting 1st overall in 4 consecutive years! Can't believe what I have been reading where you again actually think the Oilers should lose to gain optimal draft position. A lot of good that has done!! You currently have high level talent with shattered dreams and a chronic culture of losing! Do you really think a 17 year old like Ekblad is going to help immediately??? Unbelieveable !!

I am incapable of rooting for the Oilers to lose for ANY reason. When they do, at times like this, I take some comfort in that it may improve their draft position, but I still hate it. I believe management did some tanking in the early years of the rebuild and I think they underestimated the damage they were doing to the team culture. Of course since they have been totally incompetent in every other area, it would have been very odd for them to have gotten that right either.
Yes, I badly want Ekblad, and don't feel it will take three years for him to start helping, but I will go on rooting for every possible Oiler win. Well said Robin.

Yep, they tanked on purpose to the bottom of the pit and now they can't find their way out no matter how many coaches they fire each season.

So a culture of winning will be established after a month of .500 hockey?

And free agents will suddenly want to play for a 29th place team because they upped their record to .500 for a month?

Winning is important, but let's keep it in context.

What the team does the rest of this season will matter far less than what MacT does between now and next season, I'm guessing.

"winning is important but let's keep it in context"....your kidding right? Look at the Oiler loss column the last 8 years. Then look at Eberle, RNH, RNH, TH, Schultz, Hemsky, Gagne etc..these high end top guys have never experienced winning in the NHL. DO you think it is in the Oilers best interest to install winning hockey rather than have a 17 year old Eckblad added to the disaster list of ruined young talent. Please give your head a shake!

Why would the team not do anything but strive to win every game? "Play bad for Ekblad "? Please. These are professionals who must try to win every game. Finish as high as possible, then let the Suits figure out the next moves.

Although if would be kind of fun to see Harrison and his entourage of rocket surgeons make another #1 pick.

All I can say is this - I felt a whole lot better watching Perron stripping the puck off Kassian and scoring a hat trick goal into an empty net, than I did watching Kassian score the winning goal against the Oilers a week ago.

And judging from the look on Perron's face, so did he.

Maybe the games were equally meaningless in the standings. But my sweet Lord, I'm sick of losing.

Oiler fans are indeed in big trouble! The hundreds and hundreds of losses over the last 8 years has lost your perspective on sports! Be reminded losers sports is about winning it is not about draft day and drafting 1st overall in 4 consecutive years! Can't believe what I have been reading where you again actually think the Oilers should lose to gain optimal draft position. A lot of good that has done!! You currently have high level talent with shattered dreams and a chronic culture of losing! Do you really think a 17 year old like Ekblad is going to help immediately??? Unbelieveable !!

The point of the article is precisely that the team has to win and not chase another draft pick. Did you fall on your head when you were little?, or are you just naturally $tup!d?

Agreed. If there were 5 games left and we were in this position I'd feel differently. Closing things out with a 4-1 record in the name of "finishing strong" and losing out on Ekblad would be stupid. Momentum barely carries over from game to game let alone season to season. But with 27 games left you want these players to feel that winning feeling.

"Who cares the season is lost! Why not tank to guarantee the best player?? It's not like things could get worse!"

Wrong. There is a lot more poison left in the mug that is this season. If you let these players drink it to the tune of a 5-17-5 finish you could wind up with some Post traumatic season disorder that they never recover from going forward.

Media player relations. Fan player relations. Player coach relations. Fan management relations. All permanently damaged if the season were to be bookended by ungodly 25 game losing streaks.

The point of the article is precisely that the team has to win and not chase another draft pick. Did you fall on your head when you were little?, or are you just naturally $tup!d?

Actually I have one up on you...I am able to read! And what I read are various posts from Oiler fans promoting losses and draft position rather than winning culture. All that after 4 consecutive years of finishing in the sewer.

I agree. The notion of purposely losing to increase draft position is disgusting. I don't believe that was ever the Oilers intention. No sir, you can chalk up the last 8 years to good old fashioned managerial incompetence.

All I can say is this - I felt a whole lot better watching Perron stripping the puck off Kassian and scoring a hat trick goal into an empty net, than I did watching Kassian score the winning goal against the Oilers a week ago.

And judging from the look on Perron's face, so did he.

Maybe the games were equally meaningless in the standings. But my sweet Lord, I'm sick of losing.

For truth Doug. Losing sucks and it is mentally draining. The Oilers will end up with a good prospect even if they start winning now...so they might as well keep winning. In fact, there might be less pressure to send the player back to junior if he isn't a 1st overall.